Only one method, and that a simple and mechanical, though a highly ingenious one, had been adopted for unrolling the MSS. It was invented, in the middle of the last century, by Padre Piaggi, a Roman, and consists in attaching a thin animal membrane, by a solution of glue, to the back of the MSS. and then carefully elevating the layers by silk threads, which are gradually moved by the revolution of wooden pegs. Davy, shortly after his arrival, desired that the process of unrolling might be continued in his presence; and in considering the method in its general application, it occurred to him that some expedient might be used to facilitate the separation of the layers. For this purpose, he proposed to mix the solution of glue with a sufficient quantity of alcohol to gelatinize it, in order that it might not penetrate through three or four layers, which it was liable to do, when the texture of the papyrus was loose or broken, and the glue employed was in a liquid state. He also suggested the application of warm air for drying the papyrus, in the operation of attaching the membrane. It is not my intention to follow the chemist through all the various processes which he instituted for accomplishing his object; they may, however, be found in his paper entitled "Some Observations and Experiments on the Papyri found in the Ruins of Herculaneum," which was read before the Royal Society on the 15th of March 1821, and published in the Transactions of that year. It only remains to be stated that Davy was not successful; but though the process of unrolling hitherto applied may not have received any considerable improvement from his science, and though he may not have succeeded in rendering any of the manuscripts legible, the failure is not to be attributed to his want of zeal, or to his want of skill, but solely, as it is generally admitted, to the unfortunate condition of the papyri. It will be readily supposed that a failure in an investigation, from which he had anticipated so much advantage, was not sustained by a person naturally quick and irritable, without some demonstrations of impatience and dissatisfaction.